Binding plate for office letter files and the like



PPPPPP mon FILED MAR. 26. |919. A 1,428, 1 '72, Patented sept. 5, 1922.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922,

BINDING FLAT-E Fon OFFICE LETTER FILES Ann THE LIKE.

Application med March ze, 1 919. serial No. 285,395.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK LE Roxy TRACY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binding Plates for Office Letter Files and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to letter files of the type in which a flexible metal ribbon is used, and refers particularly to the binding plate used with loose leaf files of this class.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved binding late which is adapted by a simple manipu ation to lock the free ends of the flexible filing ribbon when in the turned down position.v

The present invention consists in an improved article of manufacture comprising in combination an elongated ybinding plate apertured between the ends, a pair of raised tongues or clips towards each end in staggered relation and facing inwards, and metallic tape-ends, each adapted to be threaded through one of the said apertures and each adapted to be firmly engaged at both sides by the corresponding pair of clips, in order to securely lock the tape ends in position.

But in order that the invention may be clearly understood reference will now be made to the drawings which accompany and form part of this complete specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a small perspective view showing the invention applied to a letter file of the type herein referred to. t

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan of the improved binding plate which forms the subject of this invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section through line a-b Figure 1 showing the l binding plate in the unlocked position on the file.

Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3. e

Figure 5 is a plan showing the flexible points of the le bent down and locked to the binding plate. o

In the drawings an ordinary portfolio letter file is illustrated for the purpose of ascertaining the invention but it is to be understood that the improved binding plate can be-applied to any design of file of th i type hereinbefore referred to. i

The flexible ribbon 6 is' threaded through the base 7 of the portfolio file and bent upwards to form the tiling points 8 on which theletters or other loose sheets 9 are filed. The` binding plate 10 which forms the subject of this invention consists. of'a long narrow strip of sheet metal having two preferably rectangular apertures 11y positioned so as to register with and permit the filev` points 8 to pass' therethrough wheny in the raised position as shown in Figures 3 and 4:. Between the ends ofthe plate 10 and each of the apertures 11` small tongues or clips 12 and 13 are cut and raised clearv of the plate surface. The bases of the two tongues 12 are in alignment with each other and with corresponding sides of `the apertures 11 while the bases of the tongues '13",

are in alignment with the oppositesides of the apertures 11, thus the bases of tongues 12 and 13 are in ,staggered positions and thetongues point in opposite directions. When the flexible'le points 8 are turned down over the binding plate they can be firmly locked inposition byplacing themv undervthe tongues 12 and 13 as shown in Figure 5. f

When it is desired to release the file points from the bindingplate their extreme ends are pushed outwards clear of the tongues 13,

then raised and drawn inwards clear of the tongues 12.

I olaim:. l A binding device comprising a` backing having a pair of flexibley prongsextending therefrom and adapted topass through the papers to be'bound, a plate having` a pair of apertures provided with `parallel side walls, the vside wallsv ofoneaperture being arranged in alignment with the side `walls' of the other aperture vandsaid prongs ex-` tending through said apertures, a tongue arranged between one of said apertures and one end of the plateuand including a vertical wall in alignment with one of the walls of the last mentifmed aperture and 'a `horizontal portion extending toward oneedge of the` plate, and a second tongue arranged betweeny the rst mentioned tongue and one end of said plate and having avertical wall in alignment with the opposite Wall of the spaced points by the Vertical portions o' last mentioned apeltuie, seid second tongue said tongues. l0 also having :t horizontal portion extendingn testimony whereof he has atxed his in a diieotion opposite to the hoiizontal porsignature in presence of two Witnesses.

tion of the iirst mentioned tongue, one of FREDERICK LE ROY-TRACY. said prongs extending between the hori- Witnesses: zontal portions of seid tongues and said T. C. ALLEN,

plete and being engaged on opposite sides at H. CAMPBELL. 

